Voices from Early China The Odes Demystified Voices from Early China The Odes Demystified Geoffrey Sampson Voices from Early China: The Odes Demystified By Geoffrey Sampson This book first published 2020 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2020 by Geoffrey Sampson All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-5212-8 ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-5212-8 The symbol on the title page is the Chinese title of this book—Shi, “Poetry”—in the hand of the Tang dynasty monk Huai Su, who called his greatly admired calligraphy “the handwriting of a drunken immortal”. VOICES FROM EARLY CHINA v VOICES FROM EARLY CHINA Contents Map of the Tiw Kingdom xvi Introduction 1 List of Works Consulted 43 A Timeline of Early Chinese History and Myth 46 THE POEMS Airs of the States State of Tiw and Southwards 1 The Fish-Hawk 關雎 47 2 The Spreading Lablab Vine 葛覃 48 3 The Mouse-Ears 卷耳 49 4 Sagging Branches 樛木 50 5 Locusts 螽斯 50 6 The Delicate Peach-Tree 桃夭 51 7 The Rabbit Net 兔罝 52 8 Gathering Plantains 芣苢 52 9 The Wide River Han 漢廣 53 10 On the Embankment of the Nac 汝墳 54 11 A Unicorn’s Hooves 麟之趾 54 State of Daws and Southwards 12 Magpie and Dove 鵲巢 56 13 Gathering Mugwort 采蘩 57 14 Insects in the Grass 草蟲 57 15 Gathering Water Clover 采蘋 58 16 The Birchleaf Pear 甘棠 59 17 Dew on the Road 行露 60 18 Braids of White Silk 羔羊 61 19 The Sound of Thunder 殷其靁 61 20 The Plum Tree is Shedding 摽有梅 62 21 Little Stars 小星 62 22 Sidestreams of the Yangtze 江有汜 63 23 A Dead Deer in the Fields 野有死麕 64 24 How Rich the Cherry Blossom 何彼襛矣 65 25 Tally-ho! 騶虞 65 State of Bùks 26 Drifting With the Current 柏舟 66 27 The Green Jacket 綠衣 67 28 Swallows 燕燕 68 vii VOICES FROM EARLY CHINA State of Bùks, continued 29 Oh Sun, oh Moon! 日月 69 30 Ceaseless Wind 終風 70 31 The Drumbeat 擊鼓 71 32 The Gentle Breeze 凱風 72 33 Cock Pheasants 雄雉 72 34 The Gourds have their Bitter Leaves 匏有苦葉 73 35 Grey Skies and Rain 谷風 74 36 It’s No Use 式微 76 37 The Lablab Beans 旄丘 76 38 The Scorpion Dance 簡兮 77 39 Spring Water 泉水 78 40 The North Gate 北門 79 41 The North Wind 北風 80 42 The Red Flute 靜女 80 43 The New Tower 新臺 81 44 Two Young Men Board Boats 二子乘舟 82 State of Long 45 This was Going to be the Right One 柏舟 83 46 The Creeper-Encrusted Wall 牆有茨 83 47 Utterly Submissive 君子偕老 84 48 Among the Mulberry Trees 桑中 85 49 Quails are Fiercely Uxorious 鶉之奔奔 86 50 Building a Palace 定之方中 87 51 Rainbows 蝃蝀 88 52 Look at the Rat 相鼠 89 53 The Ox-Tail Pennon 干旄 90 54 Canter, Horses 載馳 90 State of Wets 55 The Inlet in the River 淇奧 92 56 We Attained Ecstasy 考槃 93 57 A Stately Lady 碩人 94 58 A Jolly Man of the People 氓 95 59 Bamboo Rods 竹竿 97 60 The Rough-Potato Plant 芄蘭 98 61 The Wide Yellow River 河廣 99 62 My Warlike Lord 伯兮 99 63 A Fox 有狐 100 64 The Quince 木瓜 101 The Royal Domain 65 The Hanging Millet Ears 黍離 102 66 My Man Has Been Called Up 君子于役 103 67 My Lord is Elated 君子陽陽 103 68 Rising Water 揚之水 104 69 Parched Motherwort 中谷有蓷 105 viii VOICES FROM EARLY CHINA 70 The Slow-Moving Rabbit 兔爰 105 71 Creepers 葛藟 106 72 Gathering Beans 采葛 107 73 The Big Carriage 大車 107 74 Hemp on the Hill 丘中有麻 108 State of Drengs 75 The Black Robe 緇衣 109 76 Please, Second-Son 將仲子 109 77 Nobody Left 叔于田 110 78 Driving his Team 大叔于田 111 79 Men of Tseng 清人 112 80 Glistening Lamb Fur 羔裘 113 81 Heading for the High Road 遵大路 114 82 The Girl Says “The Cock is Crowing” 女曰雞鳴 114 83 A Girl in my Carriage 有女同車 115 84 Rose-Mallows 山有扶蘇 115 85 Dead Leaves 蘀兮 116 86 The Sly Boy 狡童 116 87 Tucking Up My Skirt 褰裳 117 88 If Only 丰 117 89 By the Sacrifice-Ground 東門之墠 118 90 Wind and Rain 風雨 119 91 The Green Collar 子衿 119 92 Just Me and You 揚之水 120 93 As I Go Out by the East Gate 出其東門 120 94 Dew on the Creepers 野有蔓草 121 95 Two Rivers 溱洧 121 State of Dzì 96 Cock-Crow 雞鳴 123 97 Athletic 還 123 98 Within the Gate-Screen 著 124 99 The Sun in the East 東方之日 125 100 Before Dawn 東方未明 126 101 Mount Tai 南山 126 102 Too Large a Field 甫田 127 103 The Hounds’ Bells 盧令 128 104 Broken Fish-Traps 敝笱 129 105 Bowling Along 載驅 129 106 Ay-tzay! 猗嗟 130 State of Ngwuy 107 Delicate Hands 葛屨 132 108 In the Bun Marshes 汾沮洳 133 109 Peach Trees in my Garden 園有桃 134 110 On the Wooded Hill 陟岵 135 111 Within the Ten-Acre 十畝之閒 136 ix VOICES FROM EARLY CHINA State of Ngwuy, continued 112 Felling Trees 伐檀 136 113 Sir Rat 碩鼠 138 State of Glang 114 The Cricket 蟋蟀 139 115 Thorn-Elms 山有樞 140 116 The Wild River 揚之水 141 117 The Peppers 椒聊 141 118 Tied Together 綢繆 142 119 Solitary 杕杜 143 120 Lambskin Coat with Leopard Sleeves 羔裘 143 121 The Bustards’ Wings 鴇羽 144 122 How Could I Say I Had Nothing to Wear 無衣 145 123 The Pear Tree by the Road 有杕之杜 145 124 Overgrown Bushes 葛生 146 125 Gathering Cocklebur 采苓 147 State of Dzin 126 Rumbling Carriages 車鄰 148 127 Hunting Deer 駟驖 149 128 The Short War-Chariot 小戎 149 129 Reeds 蒹葭 151 130 The Toung-nùm Mountains 終南 152 131 Orioles on the Jujube Trees 黃鳥 152 132 The Falcon 晨風 153 133 I’ll Share With You 無衣 154 134 Escorting my Cousin 渭陽 155 135 What I Was Used To 權輿 156 State of Drin 136 Ont Hill 宛丘 157 137 The Elms of the East Gate 東門之枌 157 138 Beneath My Rustic Lintel 衡門 158 139 The Pond by the East Gate 東門之池 159 140 The Poplars by the East Gate 東門之楊 159 141 By the Graveyard Gate 墓門 160 142 Magpies’ Nests 防有鵲巢 160 143 The Moon Comes Out 月出 161 144 Stump Wood 株林 162 145 On the Edge of the Marsh 澤陂 162 State of Kòt 146 Lambskin and Fox Fur 羔裘 164 147 His White Cap 素冠 164 148 Starfruit Trees 隰有萇楚 165 149 It Isn’t the Wind 匪風 166 x VOICES FROM EARLY CHINA State of Dzòu 150 The Mayfly 蜉蝣 167 151 Halberds and Clubs 候人 167 152 The Cuckoo 鳲鳩 168 153 Cold Spring Water 泉 169 State of Prun 154 The Seventh Moon 七月 171 155 Tu-whoo! 鴟鴞 175 156 The Eastern Mountains 東山 176 157 Broken Axes 破斧 178 158 Shaping an Axe-Handle 伐柯 179 159 The Netted Fish 九罭 179 160 The Wolf 狼跋 180 Lesser Clarions 161 The Deer Bark 鹿鳴 181 162 The Four Stallions 四牡 182 163 Brilliant Flowers 皇皇者華 183 164 Cherry Trees 常棣 184 165 Trees are Felled 伐木 185 166 Sky Protects You 天保 186 167 Gathering Fiddleheads 采薇 188 168 Bringing Out Our Carriages 出車 190 169 Glossy Pears 杕杜 192 170 Fish in the Traps 魚麗 193 171 Barbel in the South Country 南有嘉魚 194 172 Sedge in the Southern Hills 南山有臺 194 173 Lad’s-Love 蓼蕭 196 174 Soaked in Dew 湛露 197 175 The Red Bow 彤弓 197 176 Flourishing Mugwort 菁菁者莪 198 177 The Sixth Moon 六月 199 178 Harvesting White Millet 采芑 201 179 Well-Built Carriages 車攻 203 180 Auspicious Days 吉日 205 181 Wild Geese 鴻雁 206 182 Torches in the Courtyard 庭燎 207 183 The River in Spate 沔水 208 184 A Crane is Calling 鶴鳴 208 185 War Minister 祈父 209 186 The White Colt 白駒 210 187 Don’t Peck at My Grain 黃鳥 211 188 Walking in the Countryside 我行其野 212 189 Bright Waters 斯干 212 190 No Sheep 無羊 215 191 The Southern Mountain Crests 節南山 216 192 The First Moon 正月 218 xi VOICES FROM EARLY CHINA Lesser Clarions, continued 193 Eclipse 十月之交 222 194 Destruction 雨無正 225 195 Sky is Fearsome 小旻 227 196 The Turtle-Dove 小宛 229 197 The Ravens 小弁 230 198 Artful Words 巧言 233 199 What Kind of Man? 何人斯 235 200 The Eunuch’s Song 巷伯 236 201 The East Wind 谷風 238 202 Tall Mugwort 蓼莪 238 203 East and West 大東 240 204 The Fourth Moon 四月 242 205 The North Hill 北山 244 206 Don’t Try to Shift the Big Waggon 無將大車 245 207 On Campaign 小明 245 208 They Sound the Bells 鼓鍾 247 209 The Vigorous Puncture-Vine 楚茨 248 210 The Extensive Southern Uplands 信南山 252 211 Broad Fields 甫田 253 212 Seed-Time and Harvest 大田 255 213 See the River Ràk 瞻彼洛矣 256 214 Glorious Flowers 裳裳者華 257 215 The Grosbeaks 桑扈 258 216 Mandarin Ducks 鴛鴦 259 217 Split Bands 頍弁 259 218 The Linchpin 車舝 261 219 Bluebottles 青蠅 262 220 When the Guests First Take their Places 賓之初筵 263 221 The Fish in the Water-Weed 魚藻 265 222 Picking Beans 采菽 265 223 The Inlaid Bow 角弓 267 224 Willows in Leaf 菀柳 269 225 Gentlemen from the Capital 都人士 270 226 Gathering Lentils 采綠 271 227 Sprouting Millet 黍苗 271 228 Mulberries in the Wetland 隰桑 272 229 White Flowers 白華 273 230 Delicate Orioles 綿蠻 274 231 Melon Leaves 瓠葉 275 232 Lofty Crags 漸漸之石 276 233 The Bloom of the Trumpet Vine 苕之華 277 234 What Grass is not Withered? 何草不黃 277 Greater Clarions 235 Mun Dwells on High 文王 279 236 Illuminating the World 大明 281 237 Sinuous 緜 283 xii VOICES FROM EARLY CHINA 238 Stands of Oaks 棫樸 285 239 The Wooded Slopes of Gànt 旱麓 286 240 The Pure Lady Num 思齊 287 241 Almighty was God 皇矣 288 242 The Magic Tower 靈臺 292 243 Following in their Footsteps 下武 293 244 King Mun is Renowned 文王有聲 295 245 Giving Birth to the People 生民 296 246 Plants by the Roadside 行葦 299 247 We are Drunk 既醉 301 248 Wild Ducks 鳧鷖 302 249 Great Happiness 假樂 303 250 Lord Rou 公劉 304 251 Far Away We Dip Water 泂酌 307 252 A Sheltered Slope 卷阿 308 253 The People are Exhausted 民勞 310 254 A Rebuke 板 312 255 Woe to Un 蕩 314 256 Dignified Demeanour 抑 317 257 Mulberry Leaves 桑柔 320 258 The Milky Way 雲漢 324 259 The Foundation of Lhin and Pac 崧高 327 260 Droungs Shàn 烝民 330 261 The Greatness of Gàn 韓奕 332 262 The Yangtze and the Han 江漢 335 263 Unrest in Sla 常武 337 264 We Raise Our Eyes 瞻卬 339 265 Raining Down Death 召旻 342 The Eulogies Eulogies of Tiw 266 The Pure Temple 清廟 344 267 Sky’s Mandate 維天之命 344 268 Clear 維清 345 269 Brilliant and Accomplished 烈文 345 270 Sky Made a Hill 天作 346 271 The First Three Kings 昊天有成命 346 272 We Present Our Offerings 我將 347 273 The Tour of Inspection